Tuesday, February 28, 2017
KIDNAPPERS, UNDER THE RADAR
by K.J. Howe
Have you ever heard
the term response consultant? If not, you’re not alone. A hidden world exists in the private security
field, and I have spent the last three years researching this dark arena. Response
consultant is the industry term for kidnap negotiators, and these heroic
individuals travel to the globe’s hotspots, risking their own lives to help
bring hostages home.
Kidnapping, also
known as K&R—kidnap and ransom—has become an international crisis, with
over 40,000 reported cases every year. In
many third world countries, displaced military and police are turning to
kidnapping as a way of putting food on the table. They have the required tactical skills to
manage the abduction and captivity of hostages, and kidnapping can be quite
lucrative. And terrorists are also
filling their coffers by abducting people.
The prime targets for kidnapping are wealthy business people and their
families, professionals traveling abroad, tourists, journalists, and aid
workers.
To survive a
kidnapping, people need to fight against their instincts—because our natural reaction in our hypothalamus when threatened is to fight or flee.
Both of these responses can result in serious consequences for
hostages. Instead, people in captivity
need to find ways to endure countless hardships, poor hygiene, lousy food,
restrictions on their movements, endless boredom, and a constant, pervasive
fear for their lives and find a way to maintain the hope that one day they will
be free to enjoy life again. I wanted to
create a series that would explore the different facets of kidnapping,
hopefully bringing attention to this growing international crisis so we can
bring more hostages home.
Kidnapping is a
purgatory of sorts, the rest of the world going on with their normal lives
while hostages’ lives are frozen in time, every decision of every day governed
by their abductors. To learn all that I could
about kidnapping, I interviewed response consultants as well as former
hostages, reintegration specialists, K&R insurance experts, and Special
Forces soldiers who deliver ransoms and execute rescues. I’m constantly working to further my
education, as I want to bring verisimilitude to my series highlighting kidnap
negotiator Thea Paris. THE FREEDOM
BROKER is the first book in the series.
Thea is a woman
working in a what has traditionally been a male-dominated world dominated, but
she stands her ground, works hard, and is extremely capable in her job. She is also personally motivated to help
hostages, as her brother was kidnapped in front of her when she was only eight
years old. When her father is abducted
before the most important deal of his career, Thea is determined to bring him safely
home. But the kidnapper doesn’t send the
traditional ransom demands, but instead texts Latin quotes, leaving Thea
embroiled in the case of her life.
There are many
different types of kidnapping, and I hope to explore them throughout the Freedom
Broker series. When I first decided to
write about kidnapping, I took a bit of a risk and attended a K&R
conference. I slowly developed
relationships with the generous and heroic people who work in this
industry. They were kind enough to
introduce me to other individuals with a background in different aspects of
kidnapping, and so on from there. I’m
deeply grateful to all the experts who spent time patiently educating me.
I hope that readers
will take Thea into their hearts.
Although she is strong, smart, and capable, she is also vulnerable, both
physically and emotionally, like all of us.
She has type 1 diabetes, and she keeps it a secret because she doesn’t
want to be treated differently by her team.
And her blind loyalty to her father and brother is tested in THE FREEDOMBROKER. I hope that readers will relate
to her fears and cheer her on as she strives to bring her kidnapped father back
home.
Interested in learning more about the kidnap hot zones? Please visit my website to see a map of the most dangerous kidnapping zones in the world.
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I love your research, KJ. You bring it all to life. Thanks for the fascinating journey!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post, K.J. You certainly have done your homework and it has paid off!!
ReplyDeleteGreat info, K.J. -- also, your new book THE FREEDOM BROKER is terrific! Best of luck with your book tours now.
ReplyDeleteI am so fascinated with kidnappings. I'm one of those people who gobbles up the morbid details with relish. What a horrifying ordeal it must be for the victims and their families. It's something I would never wish upon anyone and strikes terror deep in my soul to imagine what it would be like, yet I can't seem to steer clear of the books and movies. Bring it on! If THE FREEDOM BROKER is an example of what's to come, you are destined for great success.
ReplyDeleteKJ, your research never ceases to amaze me. I'm so happy I was able to hear you speak at The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale!
ReplyDelete